Observe Your World

By Jean O'Sullivan - Observe Your World - Say Something! If you don't pay attention, you can easily be fooled. There's a sucker born every minute, don't let it be you. The invisible landscape of the soul shapes the visible landscape of the world. Make your contribution in concert with a clear conscience and a compassionate heart.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The devil will give you candyand pat you on the headand make you think you're better offby following his plans.He'll show bullet points on paperbut stop you from turning the page"Just take your sweet treats and we'll take care of the rest!"Is what he always says.But the rest isn't a sweet nap,It's a long and twisted night.and no matter how you reach and lurchyou can't turn on the light.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Swimming hard to the surface to break the skin of the nightmare and awake into daylight

with sun shining, birds singing, a fresh breeze.The roar--a memory to shake; an exaggeration of a fear raised by the unconsciousBut no.the world has dipped its head underand decided to stay.Inhale the inky waterand begin a dreamthat flips the world on its head.Sleep is the newawake.Awake. Hushed at parties, careful until you knowwho you can talk toand whois onlyfor polite smilesand swift escapes.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Somewhere right now there is a shoreline with a sand crab working its way into the wet sand to avoid the gleeful child who keeps picking up double handfuls of soaked sand to watch the sand crabs emerge. The kid always sets them free, but the sand crab doesn’t know that. The seagull does though. Somewhere right now there is an apple on a tree in the sun. There is a dog barking in a yard. There is mailman hopping back onto his truck. There is a musician practicing scales.10/21/2014

Thursday, July 28, 2016

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade--don't just piss in the water pitcher and cry about how lemonade is a horrible drink.-just came up with that one today. A little note to the "Bernie or Bust" gang.

Friday, July 22, 2016

At the DNC--and throughout the rest of the 2016 Presidential campaign--I hope Hillary Clinton continues to describe her policies and details where they lead. I hope she speaks beyond her loyal audience and reaches out to both the tilting right and the teetering left.

I am not talking about convincing extremists to come to a place of moderation, I am addressing the uncertain.Both the tilting and teetering can come to points of balance in time for the election in November. This is my diagnosis and prescription:

The tilting rightare caught in the spell of drumph's* empty bragging points and boasts for "change." Because they have sincere wishes for democracy to function, they're not sure how they'll vote but they're feeling pressure to go along with drumph because he's gotten under their skin. His tactic is to make people think they're dumb if they don't agree with him and it may be working.

But, when drumph he uses the term, "government", he's including the US Constitution and Bill of Rights as part of the problematic system he perceives. When he says "establishment" he's not talking about the 1%, cronyism, US policies in global politics--he's just talking about "government" as a broad and blind generalization.The tilting rightare frustrated about government. Traditionally, the right sees government as something outside themselves. Hillary's challenge to communicate to the tilting right is to finesse a message that invites engagement. We the peopleare the government. The more people get involved, the better the government reflects the will of the people. If Hillary can empower this group to participate in this democracy they will come to abhor the one man show drumph is offering.

The teetering left are grieving Bernie Sanders' loss of the primary. Much of their complaint has been that they don't like the "establishment" either, and they are talking about the 1%, cronyism, US policies in global politics (and Big Oil, too). They believe the "system" has become corrupt. The ideals they hoped we would all embrace in the form of Bernie have been counterbalanced by voters seeking a different pace or strategy.

The teetering leftare the group for whom it's most crucial to find their footing by November. Hillary is prepared and equipped to serve as President of the US. Bernie's supporters, dislike her though they may, have got to bite the bullet, participate in the election and vote for Hillary. At the very least, they'll have to cast it simply to counterbalance drumph. Opting out means their votes fall to drumph. If they think they're sad now, how might they feel upon realizing that drumph manipulated their dislike, or even disdain for Hillary into all out paralyzing hatred? drumph's tactic now is to stifle both the teetering left and the tilting right because he really needs that inaction, and he needs it bad!

Hillary's challenge at the DNC is to evoke enthusiasm for democracy, participation and life itself. We all need to walk straight into this election, eyes open, with a steady stride. We can overcome this scary phase of our nation's development. And we need to help Hillary Clinton win the US presidency in 2016. Our nation needs us to support her so we need to balance this one together and remember that it takes a village.